The answer to the question “Just how rich IS Harry Wilson?” is in….and it is: Very.

The Republican state comptroller hopeful made four years worth of unredacted tax returns available to the press today (2005 through 2008). Wilson filed an extension for 2009, but will make that information public, too, campaign spokesman Bill O’Reilly said.

We know from his 2009 PIC disclosure form that he earned more than $250,000 from Silver Point Capital last year. Considering the numbers that appear below, it’s a safe bet he took in a LOT more than that.

We here at CapTon sent the intrepid Intern Bryan up to state GOP HQ on State Street to get the salient details. He was on the phone with the individual tapped by Wilson to explain his (rather voluminous) returns when the line went dead. Apparently, the Republicans are having some trouble in that department…Hmmm.

Here’s what IB was able to glean before the connection died:

- Earnings (adjusted gross):

05-$2,420,767
06-$3,894,809
07-$7,579,621
08-$6,198,963

- Federal Taxes

05-$638,945
06-$1,013,827
07-$2,351,931
08-$1,742,942

- NYS Taxes

05-$129,005
06-$138,055
07-238,463
08-$140,653

- Connecticut Taxes

05-$52,591
06-$119,835
07-$263,919
08-$251,863

Wilson had to pay taxes in Connecticut because that’s the home base for Silver Point, the hedge fund in which he was a partner and where he specialized in investing in distressed companies. Wilson has refuted reports that he was forced out due to bad performance, insisting he left on his own accord to focus on his statewide campaign.

Wilson has steadfastly refused to say how much – if any – of his own cash he might spend in his campaign against Democratic state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. His first campaign filing is due July 15, so we’ll get some idea of how much he has been able to raise.

It would appear that Wilson has quite a bit of cash at his disposal to dump into his campaign. (DiNapoli had just $1.3 million on hand in mid-January and recently scrapped his self-imposed campaign contribution limits, admitting he doesn’t want to unilaterally disarm against a potential self-funding opponent).

UPDATE: State Democratic Party Chairman Jay Jacobs is not satisfied, saying much remains unknown about Wilson’s financial past.

“Wilson’s tax returns say nothing about reports that he was forced out of his last hedge fund gig for shoddy investing or his complicity in the Wall Street excesses that caused the financial meltdown,” Jacobs said in a press release.

“Nor do they offer meaningful insight into his potential conflicts, since his personal investments are cloaked by an impenetrable network of hedge funds and holding companies.”

“Even Wilson admits that his past disclosures don’t give voters ‘clarity’ about his personal finances, let alone speak to his fitness as an investor. In a year when voters want transparency, Wilson’s insulting how-little-candor-can-I-get-away-with approach simply won’t fly.”

“Wilson needs to lift the veil on his secretive hedge fund past and come forward with a whole lot more about his personal conflicts and how he did when gambling with other people’s money these past few years.”